Cyclists often see quite well when riding without lights due to street and shop lights but it can be almost impossible for drivers to see cyclists if they have not taken the correct safety measures for night time cycling. There are some simple but important steps to ensure that you are both safe and within the law.

Use a red flashing light at the back however a steady white light is recommended at the front when the cycle is used in areas without good street lighting.

Dress for visibility by wearing bright, reflective clothing when cycling at night. A reflective jacket or waist belt that slips over your shirt will help to define your shape in the dark.

Reflective patches, badges, tape and stickers can be applied anywhere on the bike or rider, and are recommended to maximize your visibility.

Be alert at night -- it is easier to spot approaching cars because of their headlights but remember that you may be dazzled by lights on full beam.

Hi Everyone,

Beautiful winter’s morning. A brush of snow on the HHMts with the possibility of more to come. Water badly needed everywhere I think. We are blessed.

Again I don’t think much road riding took place this w/end other than some mountain-biking, but that in itself would have been great.

Due to the bad weather (the very strong winds more than anything) the Western Province Road and Time Trial Champs had to be cancelled. I would like to think that they will take place this coming w/end.

The following w/end will see the SAs taking place in Bloemfontein and speaking of the SAs, several very promising young Junior cyclists that are part of us have had to sadly withdraw because of injury and illness. Jurie Franken that has recently had a knee op and young Wynand Cilliers who is struggling with flu amongst other things.

Several others have had to withdraw because a local school has indicated that they would not condone their being absent from school for a day or two. Cycling is not seen as a school sport and they have not been chosen to represent WP. Well, u don’t necessarily have to be chosen to go to SAs. If your are good enough, and u can afford it, u can compete. U would be out of your mind to lay out the money and time if your child was not good enough and didn’t have the potential.

One would like to think that given the fact that the Helderberg Basin is seen as one of the Cycling Training Mecca’s of several of the top pro cycling teams in the world and that cycling in the Basin area must be one of the fastest growing and popular sports in the area its just beyond me that one hears of the above decisions been taken.
Maybe it’s something that the Safety Comm. can address in the not too distant future. The intention is for them to target the schools (starting with the Primary schools) and educate the kids at an early age all about road safety, wearing a helmet etc.

ASSEBLIEF ALMAL. It’s becoming more and more dangerous on the roads now that the wet Winter weather has arrived. If u are training early in the mornings remember lights, lights and more lights on the bike. Make sure that your brakes are in very good condition and remember the old saying” it’s not the inclement weather that’s the problem BUT a poorly maintained bike and not the correct winters clothing that’s problematic”

Goedgaan,

Ek.

The below has been my concern for a long time when we have a big bunch cycling on a two lane scenario and we then have to do a right turn and cross a lane to do so.

Three examples spring to mind eg
# when we are going to Gordos Bay and enter the Beach Road
# when going to The Strand and do a right turn at the Golf Club to go along the beachfront
# when going along the Firgrove Road and just over the bridge we do a right turn at the robot

Ideally , the guy at the back should SHOUT LOUDLY if there is an oncoming vehicle coming...or shout " ok "

The other concern in this scenario is that EACH CYCLIST is responsible for his own safety AND DOES NOT cross the lane without ALSO checking BEHIND BEFORE CROSSING LANES

Hertzel

Morning,

I trust that u are all well. Was a great cycling w/end and many turned up and lo and behold, I am running late again.

The year is really on the move, incredible to think that we are heading for June and just the other day we were preparing for the DC and Argus and we are finding ourselves in that loop again. Scary!!

Well, we have a race taking place at Klein Joostenberg on Sat 12.00pm I’m led to believe with the Western Province TT and RRace taking place on the 19th and 20th of May. This to be followed up with SA's in Bloemfontein on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of June. Much training, focusing and prep is taking place at the moment. Hopefully we will have several there who are associated with us. More about that later and of course we then have the Knysna w/end (7/8 July)
So, much on the go and to look forward to! And then there is the start of the DC training being co-coordinated by John.

Sadly we said goodbye to Herman Van Zyl. He has had to resign as Chairman of the Safety Committee. Many thanks again to Herman for his support and we trust and hope that we will still see him on a bike sometime in the not too distant future. We have been fortunate to have a pretty stable and competent team on hand in the Safety Comm with Petie taking over the reigns as Chairman until the end of this year’s term of office. Good luck to the team for the rest of the year - they have some interesting projects pending and play a crucial role in the Basin Area.

While on the topic of Safety its well to remind everyone of just how important it is to NEVER EVER RELAX whilst on your bike. We as the Wannabees have an impeccable safety record and having just one accident is one too many and unacceptable. Never Ever take anything for granted when cycling and in as much as that riding in a group is beneficial, for obvious reasons, one has to be extra careful with lots of other cyclists around. Everyone in the group has a responsibility, never forget that.

If one goes in to the Blog u will see that we regularly remind all about Safe Cycling. http://wanna-b-team.blogspot.com/index.html

Having said something about Safety maybe it’s fitting to mention Health again. The question often posed is just how hard and far does one go in trying to achieve something in sport. This is most probably one of the most heavily debated topics in the world of sport at the moment but also goes back some time.

At last years DC presentation I opened the meeting reading a passage out of Tim Noak’s book “The Lore Of Running” quoted by Dr George Sheenen (1975) and I quote.” Health is something the runner goes through on his way to fitness. A way station he hardly notices in his pursuit of the twenty to thirty percent of his capacity that lies untouched. And health, therefore, is what he risks in training to do his best.”

I am attaching something for u to peruse in the ongoing debate about Health, Fitness and injuries in athletes and the possible exploitation of Elite Athletes.

Much food for thought!!

Talking about food. Don’t ever forget that we have our own resident gourmet chef in Sepp Krompass. Anybody wanting the best Apfelstrudel in town, contact him : strudelsepp@webmail.co.za

Go Well,

Ek

Patrick Murphy, Ivan Waddington. "Are Elite Athletes Exploited?"Sport in Society, Volume 10, Issue 2 March 2007 , pages 239 - 255AbstractAre elite athletes exploited in terms of the health risks they areexpected to accept? What are the health risks of elite sport? Areappropriate steps taken to safeguard athletes' health? This essaydraws on a study of English professional football which found thatplayers are expected to 'play hurt'. Injured players may be subject topressures to return to play before they have fully recovered.Information about their injuries may be deliberately withheld fromplayers. Many clubs fail to meet the requirements of health and safetylegislation. However, it is argued that the concept of exploitation isnot helpful in understanding the situation of professional footballersand that the situation of professional footballers and other elitesportspeople is better understood in terms of the concept of 'risktransfer'.If anyone is interested I can email them the full text version.

Regards
Krista Scott-Dixon

Wondering whether so-so athletes are exploited in Toronto,
ON kristascottdixon@gmail.com

Safety is paramount to the enjoyment of cycling. Awareness and consideration of others are fundamental to ensuring a cycling environment that is safe and fun. It is the responsibility of each individual to practice safety in respect of their own actions, as well as being friendly, courteous and respectful in their conduct towards other cyclists, motorists and road/trail users behind you!!

ABSA CAPE EPIC
24 March to 31 March 2007

Figure 1 Just before going to the start at Knysna - good, clean & fresh – Julian Conrad (l)& Dane Walsh (r).

It was 1.00 am, Saturday 24 March 2007. I lay there tossing and turning – a beach house at Buffels Bay. I normally sleep lightly before a race – but for some reason this was different. My stomach was in a painful knot; it was not indigestion, just sheer anxiety – I could not sleep at all. Months of training; always checking my schedule for the next training ride; always being aware of niggling knee, a scratchy throat, a strained muscle….the big event had now arrived. Did I have all the necessary equipment? Was my bike going to last? My mind could not settle, my stomach sore. Eventually the alarm went off. Good - now we could get going: a sizeable breakfast, final packing and we were off to Knysna around 5.30 am. My riding partner, Dane, entered us and we were accepted into the seeded start group. More anxiety – I wanted to survive, not race!
The TV crews worked the seeded group but fortunately we avoided being picked on! The wait – what a buzz – what a privilege! Being my first Epic I found everything so big and daunting – like a child walking down Fifth Avenue at Christmas time. Everything so well organized and of such a high standard; this no doubt added a tweak or two to my stomach.

Eventually we started – we could get going at last. Along the beautiful lagoon and then up, the climb out of Knysna, gears grinding. Darn – quick tension of the cable - and then off again. Over the top, sweeping down to the Gouna River valley – quickly across the concrete bridge and then a guttural shout from my partner. I looked back to see Dane tumbling into big blocks of rock on the side of the causeway. Some idiot had cut past him and, as there was not enough space, sent Dane flying. Panic – was this it – the ABSA Cape Epic all over? A broken collar bone – a smashed bike? Dane extricated himself, muttering, and we carried on – both of us very relieved and very on edge.

The pace was way too fast – we rode with our mates Billy and Paul. The Prince Alfred Pass was sheer misery. I had blown it, big time. Dane hauled me up. At Avontuur the worst cramps ever set in. Stopping was sheer agony and cycling the same. I knew we had to get to the finish. Dane kept encouraging me: “Drink ‘n spin; drink ‘n spin.” It felt as if my muscles were tearing. We eventually got to the finish. Having the Maverick crew to support us was fantastic and some sort of recovery was made. This was so much harder than I had expected. As I was to find out the next two days were unbelievably hard.

On Day 2 I started as if it was the sprint up to Hospital Bend in the Argus Cycle Tour and I paid dearly for this. The climbing got slower and slower. Danie, Evert, Erica and many, many others passed us. Eventually we started the Kamannassie descent. I decided to cross tracks in mid-descent as there was a slower cyclist ahead but I misjudged the height of the ‘middle-mannetjie’ and came tumbling down. Passing cyclists were considerate enough to ask rhetorically if I was OK but I was too winded to reply. I managed to carry on, albeit slowly, in a sorry and sore state. What an extremely long day. Dane was infinitely patient – a trait of his for which I am eternally grateful. At the end of the day I had eaten half a Jungle Oats bar and little else – just the thought of a carbo drink making me feel nauseous.

Day 3 started the same way– boy, do I never learn! Eventually we reached the grind up Huisman’s Pass. After an eternity a supporter on the road side shouted “Well done – half way to the top.: My spirit cracked and Dane essentially dragged me home. Without Dane that day I would have been roadside litter. I have patchy recollection of the stunning tranquillity and scenery of the day.

Day 4, the so-called “rest” day – hey – I started a bit slower. Just after we turned off the tar Dane announced a puncture. Fortunately “Uncle Stan” did its thing. We were on our way soon and this time very near the back. What a pleasure. There was time to look around a bit and we even started passing one or two folk – the first time after 3 days of cycling. We settled into a comfortable pace. I started feeling the “float” increase under my right foot – strange. Sand ahead – off the bike – push a bit – back on the bike – left pedal click – right pedal no ways – try and try again. My pedal had disintegrated 10 km after the first tech zone. Eventually we got to the second tech zone. I was faced with a number of pedal replacement options: XTR, XTR or ….XTR. I tried to reassemble the old pedal and avoid paying the “monthly down-payment on a vehicle” for a set of pedals, however it was quite trashed (or “toast” as William Keith would say) and taking too much time to repair. Dane ambled over and quietly suggested: “I think you need to make a decision…” and quietly ambled off ….. swipe, swipe … boy, do I love those new pedals (I have to)! Day 4 done – not too bad. I ate half a sandwich and an energy bar – Wow! I could also face food that evening – things are looking up!

Figure 2 Some progress being made . . .

Day 5: I took it slower and it definitely went better. An uneventful ride, though it was very long and I finished at a pace slightly quicker than the desperate crawl of the previous days. During my 5.00 pm daily massage, KFM was playing in the background. The traffic report came on: “Traffic at a stand still … Hertzog Boulevard, Waterfront etc etc …” that’s when I realised how fortunate I had been. Each day in the out-doors, on my bike, with like-minded folk – what a privilege! I would much rather be enduring the Epic than the Cape Town rush-hour traffic!

We had 2 good days of riding: Day 6 and Day 8. Being ‘roadies’ we did relatively well on the tar road stretch after Robertson on Day 6. We kept our pace steady all day. On the ‘hiker-bike’ section we were pushing, sweating and toiling our way up the slope. A polite voice stated “rider coming through.” What a beautiful sight seeing Christoph Sauser just spinning his way up such hectic gradients (the only reason we were ahead was that he had punctured at least twice). Sheer talent – what a memorable sight. Well, we maintained OK that day and what a thrill to see my family and friends unexpectedly just outside Villiersdorp.

The hard day of riding on Day 6 caught up with me on Day 7…. ‘leaden legs’. Groenlandberg – what a long grind. During the descent into the Palmiet a team (no names mentioned) cut between Dane and myself going at a fair pace. I lost my line of sight. The guy in front twitched. I went right over a sharp stick: front tyre torn. I screamed, “puncture” at Dane, but with the downhill speed he could not hear and was gone. I was naively optimistic that “Uncle Stan” would do the job. I wasted my 2 gas cartridges and Dane had the hand pump. I felt like sobbing with frustration. Dane eventually realised I was not with him and had to ride about 5 km uphill to get back to me. He was drenched in sweat and gasping, yet calmly sorted out the problem by putting in a tube. At least, whilst waiting for Dane, I carefully checked the tyre and took out all the thorns., the Leatherman being very handy for this. On our way again 30 minutes later! First corner – a wash-out! Darn – my heavily treaded front tyre was on the wrong way. Not stopping again and we took it carefully in to Kleinmond. A long day and a bit frustrating. Anyway, a wonderful family dinner in Betty’s Bay was a great pick-me up! It was also my daughter’s 13th birthday so we had a great fun evening. Very relaxing indeed.

The last day – Day 8 - felt OK and our pace was nice and steady. A slight rocky incline – cyclists congesting. A really stupid gear change on my part resulted in a snapped chain. Dane was nearby (within ear-shot this time) and calmly sorted it out. We made steady progress that day, passing rather than being passed. The compulsory ‘hiker-bike’ section was a nice relief, but boy the railway ballast was really tricky. Into the “no-overtaking” zone at Vergelegen, we abided by the signs and the teams packed up a bit. Onto Lourensford – free for all. Dane thought we could break and drop the bunch that had developed. I sat on his wheel. It was gut-wrenching. I could hear the clatter of bikes right behind me – our plan hadn’t worked. Dane was ready to really start winding the revs. I couldn’t match this and mentioned it to Dane. I thought “interesting way to end nearly 900 km of mountain-biking ……….. human nature is weird…why are we sprinting like this?….(actually it was fun)”. We entered the finish chute and on the grass the clattering bikes rushed passed. Dane slowing so we could finish together and what a thrill going down the final straight together (even though we lost the sprint)…we had made it! Craig Beech had said to me earlier in the week, when I was feeling down, ‘keep going - the finish is worth it!” He was 100% right. The finish arena was awesome and it was over – unbelievable!! Very emotional on stage being congratulated by Kevin Vermaak. All congratulations to him and his team. So very, very special to see Family and Friends at the finish and all the post-event phone calls and emails! Physically and emotionally what a huge event. A huge thank you to all that helped me get through this! Dane you are a saint! – thank you!

Team: Tall & Skinny
Team Number: 525
Result:
139th General Category (602 teams started)
93rd Men’s Category
48 hrs 22 min 37 sec
Team members:
Dane Walsh (1) & Julian Conrad (2)

Figure 3 The finish podium - Lourensford!

Julian Conrad

7th April 2007

http://www.cape-epic.com/

Epilogue: Would you do it again?

This is a question I am often asked.… During the event I had a really hard time seeing the positive side (I had naively pushed myself too hard and my system shut down – and I really battled to eat and hydrate on the bike)..during the dinner on Day 3, Billy and I looked at each other – gaunt and exhausted and we confirmed this was a zero on the “fun” scale. However, with a bit of time, and seeing how Danie rode with the experience of an Epic under the belt, it would be a huge privilege to do it again and I would love the opportunity. . . but it is expensive ….so if there are any sponsors out there…..?? let me know!

What are Wannabees doing when they get bored on the bike?
Well they ride PEDAL CARS. If you look closely at the photos you will identify them.

Hi All,

Some of you might have come across obstacles whilst trying to register/enter for a particular fun ride outside the Western Cape for example Amashovashova. One or two people have tried to enter and have been told that they need a licence.

Well in brief both Gauteng and KZN have already implemented the new CSA (Cycling South Africa) licence which compels cyclists who want to be seeded at cycling events to obtain this licence from CSA.

Following various letters to PPA I have enclosed herewith the text for your information.

John Arnold
jmca@mweb.co.za

From: David Bellairs [mailto:david@cycletour.co.za]Sent: 11 April 2007 13:39 PMTo: 'Karin Pohl'; 'Steve Hayward'; Carinus LemmerSubject: RE: CSA - licenses required for Amashova etc?Importance: High
My comments as follows in red

Dear David and Steve

We today received the following queries at the office and are unsure what to answer them, as we have not received any formal notification in this regard.

The questions are:

* Is it true that ALL participants at eg 94.7 and Amashovashova need to have a valid CSA license before they are allowed to enter? They need to be a member of a club, association or body that is affiliated to CSA. Membership to these organisations allows folk to ride in and be seeded in either of the above events. A license is only required if you want to race in and qualify for any of the Vets, Ladies, junior, U23 or Elite racing groups

* Or is this for a seeded category only? Any member of any affiliate is entitled to be seeded you do not need a cyclosport or full license to be seeded.

* Why do they need to have licenses if they simply want to participate? You don’t!! But to be seeded you do require to be affiliated in some way to the national body through one or more of the affiliates or there clubs.

* Is this true for all seeding series events, or only these two? It will be required for any event in South Africa

* If you are a PPA member (and so affiliated to CSA) - does this mean you still need a license (to participate in the general section?), or can you enter as is? You do not need a license to be seeded into the normal seeded section being a PPA member is sufficient.

* Is there anything else we need to know of regarding licenses and upcountry events?

If we could please have the answers to all the above questions, then I can circulate to all our staff in the office.

Much appreciated!

karin

From: John and Belinda Arnold [mailto:jmca@mweb.co.za]Sent: 18 April 2007 10:46 AMTo: funrides@pedalpower.org.zaSubject: RE: CSA - licenses required for Amashova etc?
Hi Joy

Thanks for your e-mail which was very informative but left us with another question:

For this year 2007, being a member of PPA is sufficient and it is not necessary to get a licence if you wish to enter “94.7” etc and other funrides outside Western Cape. However come 2008 will all persons have to have a licence as we are led to believe that all Gauteng Central and KZN persons wanting to be seeded at funrides need to be licenced as from this year and that from next year (2008) it will be necessary for everyone to be licenced to enter races outside Western Cape i.e. it will not be sufficient enough to be a PPA member.

Hi John

Being a PPA member would be sufficient in that we remain the go-between between yourself and CSA. In other words instead of joining a club you come into our office, fill out the form, make the payment (either cash or cheque), provide two ID photos and we forward everything to CSA. They then either post it to you or we collect it from them and let you know you can collect it from us.

Remember: The CSA licence is a national licence, you can use it in Gauteng, etc. Only once you want to do international events then you would need to belong to a club for them to apply for the international licence on your behalf.

At this point in time everything mentioned in the previous email remains the same for next year as well - if anything changes it shall be noted on our web site: www.pedalpower.org.za.

Hope I answered your question.

Regards

Joy
Pedal Power Association
Tel: 021 689 8420
Cell: 084 588 0412

I sincerely hope that you also now have the answers and will not encounter any further hassles if you attempt to enter a funride outside Western Cape.

Regards

John

Stopping - When someone yells out "Stopping", this means that there is something that is causing the group to stop. This can be anything from a light, a slower pack of bikes, a stop sign or a car up ahead. In any event, prepare to stop. Tap you brakes and repeat the yell "Stopping". This is to indicate to others that you've heard them and you are also slowing to a stop. This will also alert those behind you that you are slowing to a stop. It's VERY important not to slam on your brakes especially if there are others behind you!!

WANNABEE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN WATTS

Gravity Watts

The formula for Gravity is: Watts_to_overcome_gravity = 9.81 x P x %slope x V. Where Cslope is a coefficient, P is your weight, and V is your speed on the road. The faster you go, the more you weigh, and the steeper the slope, the more power is required to take you up the hill.

Friction Watts

The formula for Friction is: Watts_to_overcome_friction = 0.1 x V x P
When the velocity V is measured in meters/second and the weight P is measured in kilos, for a decent quality bike, with well-inflated racing tires on a smooth road, the metric Cfriction is said to be about 0.1.

Wind Resistence Watts

The formula for Wind Resistance is: W_to_overcome_air_resistance = Cair x (V + Vwind)^2 x V. If there is no wind, it is simply: Cair x V^3.
For the metric system, Cair ranges from perhaps 0.8 for a city bike without baggage or a hybrid with baggage, to .7 for a mountain bike or loaded touring bike to perhaps 0.45 for a hybrid or upper position on a racing bicycle without baggage, to as low as 0.36 for full racing position on a conventional racing bike.

Overall Watts Formula

Wrider = Cfriction x V x P + Cair x (V + Vwind)^2 x V+ Cslope x P x Slope% x V + acceleration

More details on http://www.mayq.com/Best_european_trips/Cycling_speed_math.htm

WANNABEE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN PICTURES

From Wannabee King...

Click to see all pictures

What a great sunny day with an unexpected turnout we had yesterday for the first Wannabee King of the Mountain. I hope you all enjoyed it has much as I did!!

Big thanks to Maverick, Helderberg Cycles and ELDC for their support and fantastic prices.

Hi All,

Just before the Argus a letter was sent out requesting those who had not contributed the R200,00 annual donation as agreed at last years “Annual Meeting” to do so as soon as possible.

Some of you responded with payment for which we are extremely grateful. Others had a few questions which I will try and answer below:
The R200.00 donation runs from one annual meeting to the next. The next payment being +- Sept 2007 and will be based on an amount agreed at the annual meeting. Should we have a healthy kitty at the time of the meeting it could be decided to reduce the donation.
The funds are used as follows:
a: for petrol expenses towards backup vehicles,
b: cell phone and telephone expenses
c: to build up Wannabee cycle kit stock
d: e-mail costs
e: structured training
f: other travel expenses
g: etc
It is R200.00 whether you are an individual or a family.

Anyone wishing to claim for expenses incurred can obtain a claim form from me which would be approved at a Steering Committee meeting and paid out accordingly.

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET PAID THE “DONATION” IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED IF YOU COULD DO SO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Extract from previous letter:

As you know none of this comes without some cost and as discussed at the annual meeting of our Wannabee group in September 2006, we agreed to all contribute R200 per annum to cover these out-of-pocket expenses.

There have been many of you that have made your contributions for which we are very grateful. There are however a number that have not as yet paid your dues and I, on behalf of the steering committee, request that you please finalise this matter as soon as possible.

We now have a separate Wannabee banking account and for your information all expenses are accounted for and approved by the steering committee.

Account Name: Wannabee
ABSA Bank
Somerset West
Branch Code: 632005
Acc No. 9178906183

We really would appreciate your cooperation regarding the above. If you are uncertain as to whether you have in fact paid, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Contact details: anton@norths.co.za or 082 5773305.

Kindly ensure that your name appears as a reference when paying and please fax (021 5924293) or e-mail the remittance advice.

Kind regardsAnton de Freitas

WANNABEE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN RESULTS